Haney cleared by Louisiana Supreme Court

Sun, 2013-04-07 09:00

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled District Attorney J. Phil Haney did not violate any professional standards.

The Advocate reports that a disciplinary board cited Haney in 2011 for representing a woman in his private practice after charges were brought against her in a boating accident. Haney is district attorney for Iberia, St. Mary and St. Martin parishes.

In Louisiana, many parishes allow their district attorneys to run a private law practice and prosecute cases on the public's behalf.

Haney says he recused his office from prosecuting the criminal case when he learned of the conflict.

The disciplinary board lawyers argued that professional standards required him to distance himself from both the lawsuit and the criminal case after he learned of the conflict of interest.